Vegetable Garden Quiz

If you're tired of trekking to the grocery story every week only to find that the produce is lacking or hauling your cookies all the way to the farmer's market to be swallowed up by a ruthless Saturday crowd, then maybe it's time to start growing your own vegetables. Take this quiz to see if you're ready to dig in the dirt and pull out your own veggies.

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Question 1 of 10

What is an heirloom seed?

a seed your Grandmother gives you

a seed that's worth a lot of money

a seed from a variety of plant that has been around for many years

Heirloom veggies are harder to come by since the advent of hybrid veggies, which are prettier and more disease-resistant. But most agree that heirlooms taste the best.

Question 2 of 10

Which of these vegetables is not in the mustard family?

lettuce

Kale and collards are members of the mustard family, but lettuce actually is the head of its own household. Members of the lettuce family include romaine, endive and dandelion.

kale

collard greens

Question 3 of 10

Which of these veggies is a cool weather crop?

peppers

cauliflower

Peppers and tomatoes both like warmer weather, but cauliflower can take on the frost. Plus, it tastes much better in cooler months.

tomatoes

Question 4 of 10

Which of these is not a benefit of companion planting?

attracting beneficial insects

warding off pests

stopping weed growth

Companion planting is often employed by organic gardeners to protect plants from harmful pests and attract beneficial insects. But the only way to stop weeds from growing is to pull them out.

Question 5 of 10

Tomatoes are good companion plants for:

black walnut

asparagus

Tomatoes repel the asparagus beetle, which is the main destroyer of asparagus crops. Dill attracts tomato horn worms, and black walnuts actually inhibit the growth of all nightshades.

dill

Question 6 of 10

True or False: Easter weekend marks the official end of the last frost date.

true

false

The last frost date is a guideline for planting vegetable gardens and varies from climate to climate.

Question 7 of 10

Which member of the nightshade family is deadly?

tobacco

belladonna

Tabasco sauce will burn your tongue and smoking may eventually kill you, but belladonna is a poisonous plant that was used to murder enemies in ancient times.

Tabasco sauce

Question 8 of 10

Which of these is a great source of nitrogen for your soil?

coffee grounds

Banana peels are great for adding phosporous and potassium, but spent coffee grounds pack a mighty nitrogen punch. Save the sugar for tea time in the garden.

sugar

banana peels

Question 9 of 10

Which carnivore's manure should you avoid using in your garden?

horses

cows

dogs

Manure from animals who eat meat generally isn't recommended for use in your vegetable garden, because parasites or other disease organisms can be easily transmitted to humans. Stick to the manure from herbivores, like cows and horses.

Question 10 of 10

Which of these is not a good amendment for soil clay?

sand

wood chips

vermiculite

Clay is so compact that it needs smaller amendments that make it looser and improve its permeability. While vermiculite does have high permeability, it's usually used because of its water retention properties, which clay already has.